Abdelhak Nouri

Goose bumps and tears filled the Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam on Tuesday night as tribute was paid to Ajax footballer Abdelhak Nouri during the Championship League match between Ajax and Nice. Nouri sustained serious and permanent brain damage after he collapsed during a practice match a few weeks ago.

Amsterdam mayor Eberhard van der Laan was a guest on Zomergasten on Sunday night, the first extensive interview he gave since he announced that he was diagnosed with metastasized lung cancer early this year. Van der Laan spoke to presenter Janine Abbring about his work, his illness and his city, remarkably getting more emotional when speaking about the city than speaking about his cancer.

A man was injured at an Amsterdam gathering to pay tribute to Ajax footballer Abdelhak Nouri on Friday night. Rachid Kajdouh had to undergo surgery after a firework exploded in his face at the tribute in Geuzenveld, AT5 reports.

The explosion seriously damaged his cheek. He was operated on that same evening, but he will have permanent scarring and part of his face is paralyzed, according to the broadcaster.

All football matches must have a mandatory defibrillator available in future, according Michel D'Hooghe, physician and chairman of world football union FIFA's medical committee. If a defibrillator is handy, situations like Ajax player Abdelhak Nouri sustaining brain damage may be prevented, he believes, according to NOS.

Abdelhak Nouri sustained severe and lasting brain damage when he suffered from heart arrhythmias during an Ajax practice match against Werder Bremem on Saturday, the Amsterdam team revealed in a statement on Thursday.

"In the intensive care unit of the hospital in Innsbruck, Nouri's brain functions were further tested over the past few days", Ajax reports. "The diagnosis that was made is that a large part of his brain no longer functions and that the chance of recovery of these crucial brain functions is nil."